Shoe lining and process of making the same



Patented Jan. 11, 1944 SHOE LINING AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Adelbert P. Swett', Westwood, Mass, assignor to Beckwith Manufacturing Company, Dover, N. H., a corporation of New Hampshire No Drawing. Application October 25, 1939, Serial No. 301,305

7 Claims.

This invention consists in an improved lining for shoes and includes within its scope a novel process of preparing the same.

An extended investigation has disclosed the fact that a serious couse of failure in wear of shoe linings is the occurrence of a fungus or mold growth upon the lining, particularly likely to occur in the toe portion of a shoe. This growth is encouraged by the starch sizing, with which it has been the general practice to treat shoe starch sizing is conducive to fungus growth it isof no substantial. benefit in reinforcing the fabric of the lining against mechanical stress since it is not strongly adhesive but brittle and so tends to crumble when the fabric is flexed, creased or rubbed.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a shoe lining so conditioned as to prevent or substantially retard fungus or mold growth therein, and at the same time, to resist the destructive effect of mechanical stress in wear to a greater degree than linings heretofore available to the industry.

These desirable results, and others which will be pointed out hereinafter, I achieve by treating the fabric of the lining with an emulsion or solution containing a self-polishing or wax-like constituent and a fungicide or mold-preventative constituent. In one aspect, therefore, my invention consists in a sizing thus characterized.

The self-polishing or wax-containing constituent of my novel sizing preferably includes a natural vegetable wax reduced to a fine state of sub-division, as in an emulsion, so that its particles may be distributed uniformly upon the threads of the fabric and in such close relationship as to merge into a wax-smooth coating when rubbed in wear. Candelilla, montan 01' carnauba wax are examples of suitable materials for this constituent. I have discovered that a particularly satisfactory procedure for securing the dispersion in the wax is characterized by blending and dissolving rubber in the wax, and then mixing-the resulting compound in a smooth soap solution. The rubber ingredient is beneficial in increasing the flexibility of the resulting coating and preventing the wax from fracturing on the fabric of the lining.

The fungicide or mold-preventive constituent of my novel sizing may consist preferably of sodium-o-phenylphenate or the corresponding potassium phenylphenate, or alternatively of hichloride of mercury, sodium-phenyl-sulphate, pyrogallic acid, resorcinol, ortho-hydroxy-diphenyl, or hydro-quinone, or other compounds or combinations of compounds which are effective as these are, not only to prevent the growth of fungi and molds, but to kill any such growth that may be introduced into shoes in which they are present. I have found sodium-o-phenylphenate to be effective if present in the sizing to an amount of /2 of 1%, and to be entirely compatible with the other ingredient of the compound as are also the other fungicides mentioned.

The improved textile fabric of my invention may be produced by any process adapted to bring about the results above outlined. My invention will, however, be best understood and appreciated from the following description of the novel process which is the best now known to me for producing the improved lining of my invention. In this connection it should be understood that the specific formula disclosed is illustrative only.

" That formula is as follows:

, Weight in formula p ounds D r 2% }s7 3o. 45 Stearic acid, 15..v 5. 25 NH OH, 8 2.8 Water, 400 140. 00

. Weight in Fungicide pounds Sodiumophenylphenate, 2.5 .90 Alcohol, 5.7 00 Water. 2.85 l. 00

Dotria wax is the natural vegetable candelilla wax processed to raise its melting point from 150 F. to 187 F. RC0 is the designation used in the industry to identify equal parts of candelilla wax and smoked rubber sheets, the two being milled together to blend and dissolve the rubber in the wax. In making up the foregoing formula parts of Dotria wax and 30 parts of RCC are melted in a container and the mixture maintained at a temperature between and C.

Four hundred parts of water are measured into another container and heated while 15 parts of stearic acid is stirred into the water and melted therein. When fully melted the temperature is raised to just below the boiling point, 8 parts of ammonium hydroxide are added and the whole stirred until a smooth soap solution results. The melted RCC-Dotria wax mixture is then added to the aqueous soap solution with vigorous and constant stirring for about minutes. The stirring is then continued very slowly until the emul sion arrives at room temperature and under these conditions it will be found that a very fine and uniform dispersion of the wax-containing constituent has occurred in the emulsion. sodium-o-phenylphenate, figured on the total weight of the solution up to this point, is then dissolved in 100 cc. of alcohol and added to the solution, in which it is precipitated as a milky cloud of very fine particles, the mixture being thus complete and ready for use.

In applying the sizing solution to a shoe linmg I have found it desirable to size the warp threads before setting them up on the loom, then to complete the weaving of the textile fabric of the lining, and finally to saturate and thus size the woven lining sheet. The method of procedure in applying the sizing is, however, of secondary importance so long as it is distributed uniformly throughout the fabric. The solution is adherent in its nature, tending to coat and remain permanently upon the threads of the fabric and thus to strengthen it in some degree. It contains very finely divided particles of its waxlike constituent and these are distributed evenly and closely upon the threads of the fabric. The fungicide constituent is also uniformly distributed and closely associated upon the threads with the wax-like particles. In wear, therefore, no favorable medium is present in the lining for the growth of fungi or mold, but instead the entire body of the lining presents an active fungicide which is effective not only to prevent the growth of mold or fungi which might naturally occur in the lining, but also to kill any growth of this kind which may be introduced upon the feet of the wearer. The wax-like constituent tends in itself to retard fraying due to abrasion of the lining and also acquires a polish by rubbing which tends to reduce friction and reduces the porosity of the fabric and presents a smooth polished surface containing particles of sodium-o-phenylphenate in all areas of frictional rubbing. For example, when the treated lining is ironed it presents a polished surface in which the phenylphenate particles are exposed and can be detected by their odor.

The lining is slightly stiffened by the sizing of my invention so that it shows a tailored efiect in the finished shoe, conforming to the shape imparted to the shoe by the last in the lasting and treeing operations. On the other hand, the sizing may be softened temporarily by heat in the lasting operation so that the lining becomes limp and may be readily lasted with the upper.

In preparing the improved lining of my invention I have found it desirable to avoid using a sodium or potassium soap in the sizing for the reason that this would be likely to be broken down chemically by urea contained in the natural perspiration of the foot into free fatty acids and caustic. The caustic thus freed has a destructive effect on the cotton fabric of the lining. On the contrary the ammonium stearate soap which is an ingredient. of my novel sizing solution is kept decidedly on the alkaline side by maintaining an excess of ammonium hydroxide in the solution. However, when the sizing solution is dried upon the fabric the ammonium hydroxide evaporates and the ammonium stearate becomes acid and therefore insoluble.

While I have disclosed my invention in its application to shoe linings, I contemplate that it has a wider field of use and may be employed in any textile material subject to friction in wear or use where it is desired to prevent the growth of mildew or other molds or fungi, for example upon sails, tents, and possibly hosiery. Such uses would obviously be within the scope of my invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described a preferred way of practicing it and illustrative embodiments of the resulting product, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A fabric shoe lining entirely free of starch and sized with a natural vegetable wax distributed in fine particle size throughout the lining and adapted to take a polish in wear.

2. A fabric shoe lining substantially free of starch and sized with a natural vegetable wax in a state of fine subdivision and associated with solid particles of fungicidal material, the finely divided wax being adapted to take a polish when subjected to rubbing in use and to expose the fungicidal particles.

3. A fabric shoe lining sized with a natural vegetable wax and rubber compound adhering to the fibre of the lining, the wax being present in finely dispersed phase and imparting selfpolishing characteristics to the lining and being associated on said fibre with solid particles of a mold-preventive ingredient.

4. A sizing solution for shoe linings and the like, including a soap emulsion of natural vegetable wax and rubber mixed with a dispersion of one of the group of fungicides consisting of sodium-o-phenylphenate, potassium o phenylphenate, bichloride of mercury, sodium-phenylsulphate, pyrogallic acid, resorcinol, ortho-hydroxy-diphenyl, and hydro-quinone, the wax or" the fungicide being present in the sizing in finely dispersed phase.

5. The process of sizing textile fabrics, which includes the steps of treating a fabric with an ammonium stearate emulsion of rubber and natural vegetable wax containing also a fungicide, while the emulsion is maintained in an alkaline condition by excess ammonium hydroxide and producing on the fibre an insoluble acid deposit in which the wax is present in finely dispersed phase.

6. A textile fabric shoe lining substantially free of starch and sized with a compound of rubber and a natural vegetable wax having a melting point of over 150 F. distributed in the sizing compound in finely dispersed phase.

7. The process of sizing textile fabric shoe linings substantially free from all starch, which consists in coating a fabric with an alkaline emulsion comprising approximately 36 parts mixture of Dotria wax with equal parts candeiilla wax and smoked rubber sheet, 5 parts stearic acid, 3 parts ammonium hydroxide, 1 part sodium-ophenylphenate, 2 parts alcohol, parts water, drying the coated fabric and thus depositing thereon the wax and phenylphenate in redients in finely dispersed phase.

ADELBERT P. SVVETT. 

